As a big fan of Sesame Street growing up (and still now) I was thrilled with the opportunity to take my three year old twins to see Sesame Street Live, Elmo Makes Music at the Bellco theatre in downtown Denver. It seems to have become one of those American Icons. Sticking around for generations and something everyone can recognize and relate to.
I would image that every child, young and old, is familiar with the very relatable characters; Elmo, Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster to name a few that are still running strong on Sesame Street. In this particular performance the characters face the challenge of helping their new music teacher (the only human and non-Sesame character on stage) make new instruments since hers were lost. They do this by using imagination, patience and teamwork.
My son was very focused and engrossed most of the time, while, my daughter was a bit busier, but spent most of her time dancing either in her seat or on the floor. Both kids agreed they would come back again and again (as long as I bring snacks). The length of 90 minutes was a bit long, but there is an intermission, and plenty of room to wiggle and dance around, which is encouraged by the characters, who even pop off stage a few times to interact with the kids.
While the kids loved the event, my biggest kick was just watching their reactions. Just walking into the Convention Center downtown was immensely entertaining for the kids. The kids’ eyes were up, looking at the huge sculptures, and the massive ceilings and windows. Walking into the theater was a grand experience as well. We got there with a bit of time to spare allowing us to walk up to the stage and take in the ambiance. It does make you feel like you’re part of something amazing just walking into those grand theaters. One of my favorite parts of the show was when the show started and the smiles that lit up their faces. My kids’ favorite part was Cookie Monster. To each his own.
Though the show itself was wonderful a few tips to consider:
*Parking though easy to get in using the parking garage, was a huge pain getting out. You have to wait in long lines to use the elevator and the alternative is many flights of stairs to climb to get to the first floor parking. Which wouldn’t have been terrible if it hadn’t been for the three year olds who insist on walking all those stairs despite long line of other parents carrying their children up the stairs and moving at a much faster clip than my crew. My husband and I did end up just carrying the kids despite their aggressive complaints.
*Lots of stuff to buy: Balloons, cotton candy, random light up toys, food. My family makes it a general policy not to buy stuff at these things so as not to set a precedent, but go with a plan in mind. Food seemed to be acceptable since they were selling it inside the theatre. Once balloons were bought, they were kept under seats so they weren’t a distraction for everyone fortunately.
*Try not to sit too close. All the seats on the floor (all chair seating) make it really hard for the kids to see, so parents were holding kids up high or kids were standing in seats causing a chain reaction of other kids standing up to see. We ended up moving to the side and back a bit where there was a bit of elevation. A bit farther away, but the kids could see much better, and all the action was in the center stage so we didn’t miss anything happening in the wings.
* Though the characters do get off the stage 3-4 times, if you’re seats allow, get your kids to wander down to meet the monsters quickly. They stay on the ground floor (also the worst seats, so maybe that’s compensation for those folks). The monsters get back on stage fairly quickly and it was too late by the time we got our nerve up to let our kids out to say hi.
There are only a couple shows left in Denver on Sunday in November, but I would highly encourage you to take your kids the next time they’re in town if you can’t get there tomorrow.
Though I was given these tickets, all opinions are my own.
